Carbohydrates: what are they, types and characteristics of these molecules

Carbohydrates, carbohydrates or carbohydrates are molecules of biological origin that owe their name to their chemical composition, since they are mainly composed of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen.

From a nutritional point of view, along with lipids and proteins, it is an essential macronutrient in any diet. To give us an idea of ​​its effectiveness, professional sports associations estimate that an athlete should ingest 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour of exercise. Of course, this is the most effective cellular fuel in nature.

Still, the world of carbohydrates holds many more secrets than you might initially expect: from the types, functions, pathologies due to lack of intake up to certain statistical data, today we teach you everything you need to know about hydrates carbon.

• Related article: "Digestive system: anatomy, parts and functioning"

What are carbohydrates: source of vital energy

To begin, it is necessary to emphasize the importance of carbohydrates from an ecological and economic point of view. These biomolecules

make up more than 90% of the dry weight of vegetables, and therefore are the most abundant nutrients on Earth, representing approximately 75% of the total organic matter on our planet. This is why they are considered the most effective and essential components when it comes to storing energy and acting as intermediaries in metabolic reactions in living beings.

However, its functionality does not end here. The carbohydrates they are part of our own genetic code that defines us as species and individualsWell, effectively, each one of the pentoses that gives rise to the nucleotides of DNA and RNA is a carbohydrate.

On the other hand, they are also part of the cell wall of many bacteria and plants or as the integral component of the exoskeleton of various groups of arthropods. The functionality of carbohydrates on living structures is practically infinite, since they too associate with lipids and proteins, forming complex compounds that guarantee life on our planet.

An essential role in the global economy

Carbohydrates have functions beyond biological structures and our own genetic code, soon to be said. From an economic point of view there are also multiple benefits.

Taking a quick example, it is calculated that to produce half a kilo of lentils (20 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams) a total of 25 liters of water is required, while the most expensive cereal, rice, requires 1,700 liters for it amount.

On the other hand, to make a portion of hamburger meat, about 2,400 liters are necessary, and it does not contain any type of carbohydrate. Of course, each food has its own nutritional benefits, so we put dietary choices aside and leave them for another opportunity. We are simply documenting the cheap cost of producing this type of food.

Beyond the food field, carbohydrates are present everywhere in human society as useful objects. An example of this is cellulose, an essential component of most of the sheets of paper with which we work. We can also take as an example cellulose nitrate, which is used in the synthesis of plates and cements, among many other things. We believe that with all these applications, the essentiality of carbohydrates in modern society is more than clear.

• You may be interested in: "What is an amino acid? Characteristics of this type of molecules "

Types of carbohydrates

From a biochemical point of view, carbohydrates can be divided into monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides. The essential difference between these types of molecules is the number of monosaccharides that make them up. Although it sounds redundant, it is necessary to note that the monosaccharide is the basic functional unit and cannot be hydrolyzed into simpler compounds.

On the other hand, polysaccharides are composed of 10 monosaccharides or more and can have complex structures in the form of branches. Beyond chemical formulas, we find it more useful to classify carbohydrates according to their food functionality. Let's get to it.

Sugars are generally monosaccharides or disaccharides, as we find among them glucose, fructose or sucrose, for example. This type of carbohydrate is normally found in fruits and milk, but also It can be added to desserts and other recipes by humans, since it is manufactured in grain.

Despite its nutritional importance, an excessive intake of simple sugars in the diet is not recommended, since during its processing at the cellular level generates free radicals that can adhere to DNA, lipids and proteins, damaging them (this is known as oxidation). Thus, excessive glucose intake has been correlated with faster cellular aging.

Starches, on the other hand, are complex polysaccharides formed from many monomers or sugars.. They are found in plants, since their essential function is the storage of energy in the plant world within specific organelles, the amyloplasts. It may be surprising to learn that starch is the main carbohydrate in the diet human, as it is found in bread, corn, cereals, potatoes, certain legumes, fruits, rice and products dairy products.

In last place we have fiber, a food substance made up of a set of heterogeneous biological compounds (polysaccharides, oligosaccharides, lignin and other analogous compounds). It is interesting to know that humans cannot digest this carbohydrate, for this reason they experience a total or partial fermentation in the large intestine thanks to the intestinal flora (bacteria symbiotic).

On the other hand, fiber cannot be considered a nutrient in the strict sense, since it does not participate directly in the metabolic processes of the human being. Even so, it is an essential part of the physiological well-being of the individual, since it promotes peristaltic movements of the intestine, favors growth and maintenance of the intestinal flora, and can act as a physical barrier when mixed with water, since it forms a protective layer of the wall intestinal. For all these reasons, it is recommended that a human being consume a minimum of 5-10 grams of soluble fiber per day.

Nutritional functions

At this point, we believe that carbohydrate functionality counts almost on its own, but we still provide some final data that puts its role in the modern diet in perspective.

It is estimated that carbohydrates They are the main source of energy in humans, as they usually correspond to 60% of a person's daily energy expenditure. On the other hand, the concentration of carbohydrates in our own tissues is usually about 10 grams for each kilogram of body weight.

The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) and the WHO (World Health Organization), for their part, recommend that 55-75% of the energy in the diet comes from carbohydrates, but be careful: only 10% may correspond to the intake of free sugars, since its oxidative potential previously mentioned is something to keep in mind. account.

Carbohydrate metabolism disorders

Finally, we see it essential to close all this terminological conglomerate with certain information regarding carbohydrate-related diseases. Those who suffer from this type of pathology generally lack the adequate amount of enzymes necessary to break down polysaccharides into the most basic monomer: glucose., which can be transported in the blood and stored in the liver in the form of glycogen.

Yes, you guessed it. In this group we find the infamous diabetes, a disease characterized by the lack of production or the malfunction of insulin. This hormone helps the monosaccharide to enter the cells so that they use it as an energy source, so its ineffectiveness translates into atypical levels of glucose in the blood. 1 in 11 adults in the world has some type of diabetes, so we can say that carbohydrate metabolism disorders are the order of the day.

Resume

As we have seen in this space, carbohydrates they go far beyond bread and cereals. These biomolecules make up a large part of the earth's organic matter, they are part of the genetic code of all beings alive, they are an excellent food with high economic profitability and make up a not inconsiderable portion of our structure physical.

Thus, when talking about these biomolecules we have to bear in mind that even the folios we use to work are partly made up of them. These substances surround us at all times and compose us, which is why we cannot conceive of life without them.

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